Molecular-Level Characterization of Normal, Benign, and Malignant Breast Tissues Using FTIR Spectroscopy

Abstract

The present study investigates the diagnostic capability (sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy) of the Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) technique as a tool for the characterization of excised breast tissues with special emphasis on the differentiation between malignant and benign tumors. For such purpose, normal, malignant, and benign excised breast tissue samples were collected. The scatter diagrams of suggested FTIR characterization parameters were plotted and the corresponding diagnostic indices were calculated, showing maximum values reaching 100 % for differentiating between normal and diseased samples. The receiver operating characteristic analysis of such indices reported that the maximum area under the curve reached a value of one, which indicates highly accurate performance. The capability of the technique to differentiate between benign and malignant samples yielded promising results. A deconvolution of the Amide I protein peak revealed a high percentage of ordered protein secondary structure elements in normal tissue compared to those for malignant and benign tumors. The results indicate that the FTIR technique is ready for application in the characterization of excised breast tissues.